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Melting glaciers 'threaten UK'

Melting ice in the Arctic could end up costing Britain billions of pounds. Leading scientists have told ITV News that the country needs to prepare now for the increased threat of flooding caused by rising sea levels.

'Urgent' need to see if Arctic affects UK extreme cold

The Met Office is calling a meeting of top scientists to look at the "urgent" question of whether the warming of the Arctic is affecting UK weather.

New Met Office figures out today show that Tuesday 2nd April 2013 was the coldest night since 1917 and, in some areas of the south east, Thursday 4th April 2013 was provisionally the coldest April day since the 1960s.

Scientists want to investigate whether there is a link between these temperatures and the lowest ever Arctic ice levels, which were recorded a few months ago.

"If this is how climate change could manifest itself, then we need to understand that as a matter of urgency," Julia Slingo, the Met Office's chief scientist, told ITV News.

ITV News Science Editor Lawrence McGinty will be filing reports on the changing Arctic for the rest of this week. Watch the first of his reports on ITV News at 1.30pm.